Parole denied for engineer who killed wife in ravine plunge

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- A parole board has rejected early release for a former engineer imprisoned for killing his wife by sending their minivan over the edge of a 160-foot cliff.

Walter Casper III had his murder conviction reduced to manslaughter on appeal, but drew a maximum sentence of five years to 15 years when he was re-sentenced in January.

Since he'd already served more than seven years, he was allowed to seek parole. But a three-member Division of Parole panel says it has no confidence in Casper's ability to lead a law-abiding life. Instead, he's likely to be freed in June 2010.